Building a home

It's the first day back at work. And things are looking pretty swell, I think. Work looks to be fairly rewarding, and things at home are shaping up.

Over the Christmas break, we starting dressing up the house with decorative items and photos. It's been a long time coming, but the house is starting to feel like a home. It's been a year since we've moved in, and we hadn't even put up any photos of family and friends. That's already looking to change.

The next order of business is working on the lawn, and laying down a decent bed of grass. That's a project for the tail-end of summer, I think.

Pixel Hunt Issue 12

The Pixel Hunt website has been hacked, which has forced us to re-construct it. But activity is still happening with the crew. Issue 12 has just been released, with even more gaming goodness.

I've got an editorial in there, as well as a feature on Child's Play (a charity by the folks at Penny Arcade). So check out the latest issue here, and keep an eye out for the new site!

I'm also on the latest episodes of Pixel Cast, our fortnightly podcast. Episodes 24 and 25 are now available on iTunes.

What have I been up to?

It has been just over a month since I last posted anything here. Which, I admit, is a dramatic drop from my regular pace. I've endeavored to maintain a minimum of a post a week, but obviously I haven't kept to that promise.

Since the last post, a new issue of Pixel Hunt had been released, with contributions from myself again. I will have a couple of items in the upcoming Issue 12 as well. The podcast front has been fairly quiet as well, though we did record another episode a few nights ago.

The Pixel Hunt site has been hacked (again), so keep an eye out for new content once the site is restored.

I've also just submitted my first review for Hyper magazine. I'm hoping that my writing is deemed strong enough to warrant future opportunities. I've got my fingers crossed.

I've also really happy to have gotten the chance to get back into boardgames on a few occasions in the past month. I played some new hotness and some old favorites, and I'm really satisfied. Now my fingers are itching again, and I should probably get something onto the table some time soon.

Dragon Quest IX: Sentinels of the Starry Skies - Review

My review of Dragon Quest IX has gone up at Pixel Hunt. Here's some snippets from my review:

Dragon Quest IX is my first foray into the series. Given my relative inexperience with Japanese-styled RPGs, I wholeheartedly state that DQIX has been a welcome introduction to the genre.

Narrative and character are two key attractions to JRPGs, and within the opening sequence detailed above, players will be sufficiently compelled to embark on this adventure.

There is ample opportunity to maximise usage of the party, with plenty of combat for players to engage in. Thankfully the combat is actually quite fun, with a couple of mechanics that help reduce the tedium.

As each member of the team are created and customised by the player, it sadly means that there is a lack of memorable characters within the story.

You can check out the rest of my review here.

Starcraft 2 - Review by Community

A community review of Starcraft 2 has just gone up at Pixel Hunt. Whilst the primary contributions were from our community members, I did do the compiling and editing for the piece. And the idea was also mine originally.

So I'm going to claim ownership of the piece, and hope you all enjoy it.

You can read the full review here.

PixelCast 22 - Pixelcraft

I catch up with the boys again for our fortnightly recording of the PixelCast. 22 episodes in, and still going strong.

In this episode, we talk about Starcraft 2 (and little else) for the games we've been playing. We talk about various news piece regarding PC sales, piracy in indie gaming and engage in more R18+ discussions.

The topic of the episode looks at the stellar year in gaming so far, and the games we'll be looking forward in the remaining months.

You can listen to us here or subscribe via iTunes.

The Nintendo Basement Podcast Episode 2

The boys at The Nintendo Basement invited me to join in their second episode as a special guest. It was extremely enjoyable, and I look forward to joining them again in the future.

In the episode we talk about a variety of Nintendo-related news, games that we've been playing, and express our opinions over a range of other topics.

You can listen to the episode here.

PixelCast 21 - Pixelstain

Brand new episode of the PixelCast is now up. This episode, we have a special guest: Daniel Staines, from Eegra and Total Gamer. He joins the regular crew of Tim, Dylan and I as we pick his brains about morality in videogames.

We also talk about Persona 3 PSP, Limbo and 3D Dot Heroes, as well as Blizzard's RealID debacle, gaming schools and Metacritic's influence on game development.

You can listen to us here or download from iTunes.

Split Second: Velocity - Review

My review for Split Second: Velocity has just gone up at Pixel Hunt. It's a game I'd highly recommend, regardless whether you're a fan of racing games or not.

Here's some snippets from my review:

Imagine a vision that is about speed, precision, split second timing (pun intended) and no margin of error. Where a car must be in the exact spot at the exact time; a second off could spell disaster. The windows of opportunity to get into that spot are ever diminishing. This is the vision of Split Second: Velocity and the way it has been implemented is truly unique. Though there may be comparisons with Blur, another arcade-style racing game released in the same time window, it is this vision that sets Split Second apart from the rest of the genre.

Deciding when to use a Powerplay and what level to unleash is crucial to prevailing. Trigger a trap too early or too late, and opponents’ cars will be nowhere near the collapsing building. Time the opening of a shortcut perfectly and it shuts the moment opponents go for it.

It is the intensity of every single fraction of a second that makes Split Second: Velocity so exciting. It is the difference between victory and defeat, and it is the game’s vision that communicates so brilliantly through the gameplay.

You can read the rest of the review here.

PixelCast 20 - Pixel to Pixel

Another fortnight, another episode of the PixelCast. The regular panel of 3 are back once again to talk about games and gaming-related news.

In this episode, Dylan, Tim and I talk about Transformers: War for Cybertron, Uplink and various arcade games. In the news, we chat about internet access as a basic human right, Starcraft themed aeroplanes, and the dwindling appeal of Farmville.

We also talk about the clutter in our lives, filled with boxes, books, boardgames, instruction manuals, jewel cases and discs. And about getting rid of all that junk.

Listen to us here or subscribe via iTunes.

Red Steel 2 - Review

My review of Red Steel 2 (Nintendo Wii) is now up on the Pixel Hunt website. So go on over there to read what I thought about the game. But here are some tidbits:

Red Steel 2 features cowboys and ninjas in a futuristic, Asian-themed Wild West, which is every bit as outrageous as that statement sounds. The fantastical setting allows the game to be creative in its application of the visual style, influencing the look of characters and environments.

The star attraction in Red Steel 2 is the sword wielding, and brandishing your sword can be immensely satisfying. There are a wide variety of moves, and a large number of combos to pull off, giving the fighting system a real depth.

There are moments when everything falls into place, and a truly brilliant moment of gameplay shines through.

Click here for the rest of the review.

PixelCast 19 - Three Little Pixels

It's said a lot, but Tim literally fell out of bed and went straight into recording this episode. This wouldn't be so bad were it not for the fact that it was already post-1pm at this point.

Fortunately, there was a panel of three others to back him up. Michael, Dylan, and I keep the show in check and make sure that things remain (mostly) focused on gaming. Lots of gaming. Apparently we all love Nintendo again. Go figure.

You can listen to us here or subscribe via iTunes

Electronic Entertainment Expo 2010

E3 2010, the largest showcase of video games and other forms of electronic entertainment, has recently closed. As always, there are a whole slew of news and announcements about past performances, as well as new plans and initiatives. And always accompanying are post-expo reactions and responses.

It seems that this year's E3 is focused on the short-term, with many announcements related to this coming holiday season. Very few products break the mould, and most are retreading familiar ground.

Sequels are an accepted reality in videogames; we always want more of a good thing. But even in sequels, there are innovations. That seems lacking in the sequels we are seeing this year. Halo Reach, Gears of War 3, Killzone 3. There may be improvements in the technical aspects, but there's a general lack in bold imagination and and inspiring creativity.

I want to see more games like Journey, where the imagery is evocative, and about "singing, sand, hiking, cloth, surfing, astronauts and feeling small". My expectations for the game could ultimately go unfulfilled, but the developers have a such strong track record that I feel justified to be hopeful.

If nothing else comes of the game, at least they have given us some truly beautiful art.

PixelCast 18 - Pixel Sucker

On this episode of PixelCast, Tim, Dylan and myself talk about Red Dead Redemption, MGS: Peace Walker, Auditorium and Sam & Max.

We also talk about games that evoke emotions, and answer the largest number of listener questions we've ever received: a grand total of 4!

You can listen to us here or subscribe to us via iTunes.

Super Street Figher IV - Review

Michael Pincott and I have got our joint review of Super Street Fighter IV posted online at Pixel Hunt. Go on over there to see what we thought about the game.

Here's some highlights from the review:

With the 10 new additions, the roster has become so much more robust when compared to the original SFIV. Consequently, the amount of gameplay has also exponentially increased.

It’s clear that some characters have been buffed and some nerfed, though I’m not academically qualified to say whether this has resulted in a truly balanced game. Sagat, for example, is still a beast, while Dan is still… well, Dan.

Street Fighter IV was a superb game, and Super Street Fighter IV surpasses it in every way. As far as modern fighters go, there’s not much competition.

Read the rest of the review here. And while you're over at the Pixel Hunt website, read our other reviews, listen to the podcast and leave us some feedback.

PixelCast 17 - Your Pixel is Under Attack

PixelCast is back with another exciting episode. This time, we talk about Super Street Fighter IV, Blur, Split/Second, Starcraft 2 Beta and Silent Hill: Shattered Memories.

I'm also talk enthusiastically about a great reality TV/social experiment on the Discovery Channel: The Colony.

News and the attractions of 2D gaming round out the show.

Subscribe to us through iTunes, or download from here.

Monster Hunter Tri - Review

My review for Monster Hunter Tri (Nintendo Wii) has just gone up over at Pixel Hunt. So if you wanna know what I thought about the game, click on the link, give it a read, and make a comment.

Here are some snippets of my review:

Players will need to prepare, plan and scavenge in order to become a successful hunter. Knowledge of a monster's patterns of behaviour and being able to live off the land are also factors in a hunter's ability to succeed. In other words, Monster Hunter Tri rewards attention to detail and patience.

The game's visuals are quite impressive, and no one can deny that Capcom has managed to draw a lot of power out of the Wii...

...However, seeing the game in its current form makes one wonder about the greater potential that could have been realised had it been reproduced on a more powerful console. The colours could have been more vibrant and the sense of scale could have been even more majestic and epic. The artistic potential in the game outstrips the technical capabilities of the console it was created for.

...the first time you take down a towering beast and skinned its hide to make a nice new coat, you will know whether or not you are cut out to be a hunter.

Read the rest of the review here.

It's been a long time since... / Catacombs

It's been a long time since I last played a boardgame. My last recorded play was two rounds of Space Hulk earlier in January 2010. Before that, it was in August and July 2009. And before that, it was in 2008. So it's pretty clear that my boardgaming has gone down drastically since I've moved to Melbourne.

There's a number of reasons for that. 1) My games collection is back home in Singapore, and I'm not keen on re-buying most of them. 2) We've moved about from one rental home to another, and owning games would be a hassle. 3) It's a touch more troublesome getting to meetup groups.

I do still try to keep up with the newest games being released, and I've still got a couple of pre-orders still going on. And one particular game that's caught my eye is Catacombs.

And it's pretty simple why it's caught my interest. Catacombs = Descent: Journeys in the Dark + Pitchcar. It's a dungeon crawl game where playing pieces are flicked around a board.

From the reviews and session reports on Boardgamegeek, it seems like a light game with minimal strategy, but with some tactical depth. It also seems to foster collaborative group play, which appeals to me.

I'm not sure if it's available in Melbourne, but I think it'll be worth a hunt. Neither Milsims or Mindgames seem to list it on their sites, so I'm probably going to have to get to a store to physically search for it.

PixelCast 16: Time to Pixel

It's a return to form, with the original 3 on the latest episode of PixelCast - Time to Pixel. It's our 16 time out together, and we reminisce about our early heady days in gaming. We also talk about the games we've been playing in the past 2 weeks.

In the news, we've got Infinity Ward/Respawned shenanigans, the impending free Mechwarrior 4 release, and the reduction of paper waste by Ubisoft in the form of game manuals.

Listen to us!!

You can download directly here, or subscribe to it via iTunes.

Iron Man 2: My thoughts and impressions

After catching Iron Man 2 yesterday, I'm rating it a solid C, or 5.5/10. It's a passing grade; perfectly enjoyable and decent, but not great.

My main problems with the movie was the pacing was a bit off, and that there were missed opportunities for some of the characters.

The first quarter of the movie focused on many of the ancillary, inconsequential goings-on in Tony's life. While it is good to establish a context, it went on for far too long. The middle sections were quickly glossed over before the big battle at the end. There wasn't a sense of time to the whole sequence of events. I wasn't able to gleen whether all the events happened within days, or weeks or months, giving me a disjointed feeling by the end.

At the end of the first movie, Tony seemed so self-assured about his purpose that his actions in Iron Man 2 seemed out of step. The movie explained it as a way of coping with his gradual poisoning by the miniature arc reactor, and his way of leaving behind his possessions to his inheritors. But I felt the portrayal of Tony was a bit over the top, and turns into a caricature of himself.

Pepper Potts, once a capable strong young executive, comes off more as a overly harassed wet nurse, which is true to character. But the portrayal grates on me.

I also felt that the antagonists were a wasted opportunity. And they really lacked the level of menace and threat that Obidiah Stane presented in Iron Man. Stane was a amoral calculating,cold, cunning business man. Justin Hammer was more akin to a joke, a buffoon and a wannabe.

Ivan Vanko could have also been a far larger threat; he is supposed to be on almost equal footing with Tony in terms of intelligence. During his first monologue, where he talks about making God bleed, I was really hoping he'd be a far more interesting opponent and an antithesis to Tony.

The highlight for me was the Black Widow, Natasha Romanoff. She was deadly as her moniker suggests (the scene in which she and Happy breaks into Hammer's facility is gold), and she's smoking hot without being trashy.

I did enjoy the movie, although I was disappointed in some areas. It's not often that a sequel surpasses the original, so there's no real surprises here. I was hoping for a "Dark Knight", but instead it is more of a "Die Hard II".